bemis



(No Model.)

G. W. BEMIS.

DRUM. I

No 575,098. Patented Jan. 12, 1897.

Inventor.

G. W. Bemla.

W itnesses.

w.wM

AttorneyS.

UNIT D STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE IV. BEMIS, OF \VOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

DRUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 57 5,098, dated January12, 1897.

Application filed n 27, 1896. Serial No. 597,196. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, GEORGE WBEMIsa citizen of the United States, residingat Worcester, in the county of \Vorcester and State of Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Drums, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates 'to snare-drums; and the especial objects of myinvention are to provide an improved snare for use in connection withdrums, to provide simple and efficient means for securing the snares inposition to cooperate with the drumhead, and to provide a simple andefficient device for holding the snares away from the drumhead to mufflethe drum when desired.

To these ends my invention consists of the parts and combinations ofparts, as hereinafter described,and more particularly pointed out in theclaims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a drumconstructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail viewillustrating the construction of my snare and the means which Ipreferably provide for securing the same in place upon the drum. Fig. 3is a detail view of the movable hook which I preferably employ formuffling the drum or holding the snares out of engagement with thedrumhead, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustratingthe construction of the snare.

A snare for drums constructed according to my invention is formed ofwire wound substantially into the form of a spiral spring.

In practice I have employed a fine pianowire to form the body portion ofmy snare, and in order to prevent the wire from rusting I ordinarilynickel-plate the wire which is employed.

In the use of the ordinary catgut snares in connection with drums theinstruments are extremely sensitive to changes of temperature ormoisture, such changes influencing the tone of the instruments in amarked degree.

By employing metallic spirals to form the body portion of the snareswhich I employ I have found in practice that I am not only enabled toget a greater degree of resonance from the instrument, which is due tothe fact that the snares are more elastic and springy, but I am alsoenabled to provide an instrument which is less sensitiveto atmosphericchanges.

In order to secure the snares in proper position to cooperate with adrumhead, I provide. the-metallic body portion of the snares withflexible fastening-sections at each end thereof. In practice I haveformed these flexible fasteningsections of catgut and have found thatthe catgut may be firmly secured to the body portion of the snare bysimply threading or turning the same inside of the spiral body portion.4

Referring to the drawings and in detail, the drum illustrated in Fig. 1may be constructed in the ordinary manner with a drumhead A and atightening-hoop B,which may be moved to tighten the head by means of thetighteners a. The snares are arranged transversely across the drumhead Ain the ordinary manner and are connected to any of the ordinarysnare-tighteners 0. Each snare comprises, as shown most clearly in Fig.2, a body portion 10, made in the form of a spiral spring. Secured atopposite ends of the body portion 10 are the flexible fastening-sections11. As shown most clearly in Fig. 4, the fasteningsection 11 ispreferably formed of catgut and is threaded or turned inside of the bodyportion 10.

In practice I have found that as the ordinary mercantile catgut isslightly twisted the fibers thereof will be arranged substantiallyspirally, as shown, and will assist in advancin g the catgut into thespiral body portion 10, and will strongly resist any strains or tensionsacting to pull the fastening-section 11 out of the body portion.

To fasten my improved snare in the drum, I preferably employ a plate orcomb 12, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 2, and connect two of thesnares together by a single fastening piece at one end, so that thefasteningsection can be looped over one tooth of the comb, thus forminga double snare having its ends properly presented in position to engagethe snare-tightening device 0. Extending from the drumhead Atransversely with re spect to the snares I arrange a rod 13. Mountedloosely on the rod 13 is a hook 14.

hen itis desired to muffle the drum or hold the snares out of engagementwith the head A, the hook ll can be pushed down under the snares andmoved to the center of the drum, and in practice I have found that thisconstruction forms an exceedingly simple and efficient mniiling device.

If desired, in order to prevent the hook let from rattling when in aninoperative position, the rod 13 can be slightly bent or enlarged, sothat the hook can be forced onto or jammed upon an enlarged section,thus securely holding the same from rattling.

I am aware that changes may be made in drums constructed according to myinvention by those who are skilled in the art, and that my snares can beused in connection with drums of very many different forms. I do notwish, therefore, to be limited to what I have shown and described; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is--- 1. A snare for drums formed of spirallywound wire,substantially as described.

2. A snare for drums comprising a metallic spiral-spring body portionhaving flexible fastening-pieces at its opposite ends, substan tially asdescribed.

3. A snare for drums comprising a metallic spiral-spring body portion,and flexible catgnt fastening-pieces at its opposite ends, saidfastening-pieces being turned or threaded inside of the body portion ofthe snare, substantially as described.

4-. The combination of a drum, and a plurality of metallic spiralspringsnares arranged to cooperate with the drumhead there of, substantiallyas described.

5. The combination of a drum, a plurality of snares arranged tocooperate with a drumhead, a rod extending transversely with respect tosaid snares, and a hook movably mounted on said rod and arranged to holdthe snares away from the drumhead to muifie the drum, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

GEO. W. REMIS. Witnesses:

PHILIP W. SoUtrnmrrn, FREDERICK 1'3. HARLOW.

